Syngas (mixtures of hydrogen (H2)) and carbon monoxide (CO)) can be readily produced from either coal or methane (natural gas) by methods well known in the art and widely commercially practiced around the world. A number of well-known industrial processes use syngas for producing various oxygenated organic chemicals. The Fischer-Tropsch catalytic process for catalytically producing hydrocarbons from syngas was initially discovered and developed in the 1920's, and was used in South Africa for many years to produce gasoline range hydrocarbons as automotive fuels. Reactors and methods that efficiently carry out the Fischer-Tropsch catalytic process are desired.
Accordingly, reactors and methods that efficiently carry out the Fischer-Tropsch catalytic process are disclosed herein.